Getting to Know Linda Cardellini

Set to star in her first feature lead role in this month’s Return, Linda Cardellini discusses the timeliness of the movie, working with costars Michael Shannon and John Slattery, and what's still in store for her.

LOS ANGELES CONFIDENTIAL: What made you decide to take on Return and play such an complex character?
LINDA CARDELLINI: After ER, I slowed down and decided that I would wait until I found something I was really moved by to work on next. I was in New York when I got the script for Liza [Johnson, director]’s movie, and I just thought, “Wow! What an amazing role for a woman!” and for anybody, for that matter. There have been stories about people returning from war throughout movie history, but the way she spoke about the intricacies of this woman coming back and the slow unraveling of her life, and the small details that told the story, rather than a huge catastrophic event that told the story – I just found that would be so interesting and delicate to play .

LAC: How did you prepare for the role? How was the experience of playing a woman coming back from war?
LC: It was very enlightening. I think so many of us hear about the war every day, and know of people who have been over there. But I don’t think that we know quite enough about it as citizens. To me, it was a great responsibility to try to learn as much as I could. I tried to speak to as many women as I could, but I also spoke to men. I really liked how Liza wrote it. Because, even though it is told by a woman, I think that there are certain things that are common thread for any soldier who might have gone over there.

LAC: How was working with Michael Shannon and John Slattery?
LC: They’re fantastic. They are both really funny and warm, and incredible actors. It was so great for me, because I spent so much time on screen alone. It was so great when they showed up because they completely changed the energy and [lent] so much support to my character and so much more life and texture to what she was going through.

LAC: Any future plans you’d like to discuss?
LC: I’m due to produce a child any day now! I’ve [also] been working on writing and have something in development, and, if that happens, it’ll be something I might be interested in starring in, writing, and producing. I’m spreading my wings a little bit.